This invention relates generally to video transmissions such as interactive broadcasting which involves, for example, broadcasting television programming together with web content.
A broadcast encoder interleaves, or multiplexes, television programming and web content and transmits it over a transport. A given transport could have a variety of different bandwidths. For example, one transport may be an airwave broadcasting system where the web content is provided over the vertical blanking interval (VBI). Other transports of potentially greater bandwidths include cable and satellite transmissions.
A content provider may provide television programming or the web content information to a broadcast encoder which then transmits the broadcast to a plurality of users over one or more transports. The users may receive the broadcast using a computer adapted television receiver. Thus, the user station may involve a set-top computer which operates a television receiver or a conventional computer equipped with a television capture card.
Because of bandwidth limitations and the availability of multiple transport mechanisms, it may be difficult for the broadcast encoder to report when a particular broadcast has actually occurred. For example, a particular piece of web content information may be routed over available bandwidths. During busy periods, these bandwidths may be tied up for considerable amounts of time or the available transmission bandwidths may be relatively limited. Therefore, it may not be determinable in advance, in all cases, exactly when a particular transmission will occur, how long it may take to complete the transmission, and when the transmission will be completed.
This lack of transmission certainty may be a problem for the content provider who may need to know when a transmission has been completed and how long a particular broadcast encoder takes to transmit the content provider's web content. This may be important in a variety of settings including determining whether a particular broadcaster has complied with its contractual obligations to broadcast a particular item and in ensuring that users have received information which may be critical to subsequent transmissions or subsequent activities. The content provider may not be able to proceed with other transmissions or activities until it knows that an initial transmission has been received.
Thus, there is a need, in connection with interactive broadcasting, for providing confirmation services.